Out of Time (Nine Minutes #2) by Beth Flynn Read Free Book Online

climbed into the front passenger seat.
    Ginny smiled at him, leaning over the console for a hug. He was such an affectionate child. Just like his father. She kissed his forehead as he started to buckle his seatbelt.
    “How was your stay with the Reynolds? Did you have fun with Max?” she asked as she backed out of the driveway.
    Max’s mother had come out to the front porch and waved. Ginny beeped the horn twice in acknowledgement as she drove off.
    “Yeah, a lot of fun. Mrs. Reynolds made homemade ice cream last night! Can we do that some time? It was really good.”
    “Yeah, sure, I guess.”
    “Mrs. Reynolds told me to tell you all my clothes in my bag are clean. She did laundry last night. She didn’t want me to go home with dirty clothes.” Before Ginny could comment, he added, “I got to help Polly wash her car this morning after church.”
    Ginny glanced at her son. “You got to help her?” she asked, laughing.
    “Yeah, she said I was the best washer!” he replied excitedly. “And an even better drier!”
    “I’m sure you are, honey. I’m sure you are.” Ginny smiled to herself. Max had two older sisters, Sarah and Pollyanna. Jason had been in love with both of them since he was eight. He could never decide which one he loved more. Of course, they were way too old for Jason. Polly was a senior in high school and Sarah was in college. She was sure both girls loved Jason like a little brother. More than likely, they found him as annoying as a little brother, as well. But they were nice girls. Always sweet to him. She appreciated that.
    She wished Mimi were nicer to Jason, she thought as she drove the short trip back to the house. It wasn’t that Mimi wasn’t nice. She just wasn’t interested in her little brother. Ginny couldn’t explain it. It was something she had discussed more than once with Tommy. Mimi was never outright mean to Jason, but she wasn’t a loving older sister. At least not anymore. Call it mother’s intuition, but to Ginny, it sometimes seemed as if Mimi was incapable of feelings. Ginny couldn’t put her finger on it. And to make matters worse, Tommy couldn’t see it, always saying she was imagining things. Once he’d even told her she was too paranoid about Mimi being Grizz’s biological daughter.
    “Gin, you are subconsciously afraid that Mimi is too much like Grizz,” he’d said. “I told you more than once that Grizz wasn’t born that way. Grizz had a horrible childhood. Mimi didn’t inherit Grizz’s inability to care about people. It was something he turned off as a result of his abuse. Stop thinking about it.”
    But she couldn’t help it. She knew about Grizz’s childhood. He’d told her a little bit about it when she was pregnant that first time and they were still living at the motel. It was a neglectful childhood, not abusive. But Ginny had been neglected as a child, too, and she didn’t murder people.
    Mimi hadn’t always been that way. Something had changed in Mimi a couple of years ago, almost as if a switch had been flipped. Mimi went from being a sweet, thoughtful child to a distant and detached one. Ginny wanted to have her daughter talk to someone, but everyone insisted that Mimi was just being a typical teenager.
    Jason chattered non-stop the entire ride home. Ginny felt a little guilty for blocking him out, but her mind was elsewhere. She hoped Tommy would be gone when she got home. She didn’t think she would be able to face him.
    “Mom? Mom? How come you won’t answer me?”
    Ginny gave Jason a sidelong glance. “Sorry, sweetie. Did you ask me something?”
    “Yeah, I asked if you thought Dad had the strap on my helmet fixed. He promised before you guys went out of town that we could take a ride on his motorcycle when I got home today.”
    Before she could even answer him, Jason continued, “Where were you guys the last couple of days?”
    “I don’t know about your helmet, but if your father told you he had it fixed, then I’m sure